Donna heard Pete’s accusations and walked over to where he was standin and said, “Pete you shut up! These is the nicest people in the world. When my husband died, they took care of me and the kids in every way possible! We would have died without their help! Why are you yellin at them anyway?”

  Pete said, “They done broke the laws of the mountains and stole all of our shine out of the root cellar! That’s a hangin offence! Why are you protecting them, Donna?”

  “Pete, have you been drinkin the moonshine in the root cellar? Why that not only isn’t yores, it isn’t mine neither. That moonshine belongs to the Higgins! They made it to give their family an income after Earl got banged up in the coal mine!” Donna said, setting Pete straight.

  “Then why was it in our root cellar? Processun is the law!” Pete said.

  “What in the world are you sayin? That don’t make no sense, Pete!” Donna argued with him.

  “I think he is tryin to say, possession is nine tenths of the law,” Earl said.

  “Yeah, that’s it. It was here, in our root cellar, it’s ours!!” Pete stubbornly continued.

  “You done lost that argument, Pete! This is over; the shine is gone and that’s all there is to that! You just make yore own shine if you is wantin’ some.” Donna chastised him, as she switched her baby to the other hip.

  “And that’s the other thing. I asked them where I can cook my own shine and they won’t help me!” Pete whined, looking pathetic.

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  Donna rolled her eyes and said, “Well, tough luck! Earl ain’t yore dad and don’t have to tell you nuthin!”

  Pete caught sight of the rabbit skins in the back of Earl’s car and asked, “Have you guys been hunting? I’d sure like to go on a hunting trip. When are you goin agin?”

  “Well, that’s fine. You can get food fur Donna’s family and skins fur clothes. Yes, we kin take you with us. A week from today we leave. We will pick you up directly after breakfast,” Earl said, anxious to get away from Donna’s annoying cousin.

  He and Carl managed to find a place to sit around the rabbit skins and the shine and drove off. They looked at each other and laughed. Carl said, “I have to wonder if Donna’s family sent Pete to help Donna or if they were trying to get him out of their hair!”

  Earl laughed, “What do you think of taking Pete up to the huntin cabin? I think if he has made shine before he will start thinkin about explorin and if he finds our busted up still he will put it to use. That should get him out of our hair fur a while.”

  “Pa, you’ve got a mean streak to ya! He’s liable to get arrested by Steve or whoever is workin with him!”

  “You don’t say,” Earl said, all innocent like!

  Both guys died laughing and both were imaginin Steve sayin, “You are under arrest, Petey- boy!” Once they got home, they showed the rabbit skins to Lucy, who rushed them off to hide them in her room.

  “I think I can git two rite purty coats out of those skins fur the little girls. Thank-you Earl and Carl fur bringin me these here skins!” Lucy was delighted with them. She didn’t tell anyone, but she had been workin on makin all of her boys some knee high deer skin boots for Christmas and butterflies jumped in her stomach every time she thought of the surprise! The coats would make perfect gifts fur the girls, too! She didn’t know yet what she would make fur Cora. Cora was growin up so fast and wasn’t a little girl anymore.

  Lucy was able to work on the boots while the boys were out hunting and selling their shine and she would work on the coats while the girls were at school. She was awfully glad the little family had gotten all of the harvest put away and the fields plowed under before the kids went back to school!